WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Mike Honda today accepted an invitation from House Democratic Caucus Chairman James E. Clyburn (SC) today to join a special Task Force on Hurricane Katrina.

As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressman Honda has led the effort to ensure that minority communities receive equal access to disaster relief services. Honda is poised to introduce legislation that will require federal programs to respond adequately to the needs of limited English proficiency (LEP) communities.

“I’m eager to serve on this special task force and begin to make constructive progress toward helping our fellow Americans recover from the devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina,” Honda said.“As Chair of CAPAC and a repeat visitor to destroyed areas of the Gulf Coast region, I have seen first-hand how the federal government continues to fail in its responsibility to help the most vulnerable communities.”

Just last week, Honda traveled to Houston with members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to evaluate the post-Katrina relief efforts. Rep. Honda has also hosted a disaster preparedness forum in his hometown of San José.

Rep. Gene Taylor (D-MS) will chair the Katrina Task Force, a logical choice given Rep. Taylor’s status as a victim of the hurricane and a leader in Congress on the recovery effort and protecting against future disasters.

“While the report released this week from the Select Committee on Katrina told nothing but the truth, it failed to tell the whole truth” said Chairman Clyburn. “The task force will be the conscience of this Congress, it will look at all facets of the disaster and will put the people of our Gulf Coast first. We must move past incompetence and inaction and work to help families to return to their homes, rebuild the region and protect against future disasters.”

"While I agreed with a majority of the Katrina Committee's report, Congress still has a job to do,” said Taylor. “Right now, Congress needs to take the lessons learned from this catastrophe and make the necessary statutory and regulatory changes before the next disaster strikes—be it an act of God or an act of man.”

The Democratic Task Force on Hurricane Katrina will be dedicated to coordinating efforts and expertise to provide a comprehensive and effective recovery plan for the region. Members of the task force will keep the Democratic Caucus and the Congress fully informed and aware of activity and initiatives taking place.